Kiryu Yuyu

A newspaper reporter. His real name was Masaji. He was born in Kanazawa on May 20, 1873. He graduated from the law department of Tokyo Imperial University in 1899 (Meiji 32). After working for Hakubunkan, Shimotsuke Shimbun, Osaka Mainichi Shimbun, Osaka Asahi Shimbun, and other companies, he became editor-in-chief of the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun in 1910 (Meiji 43). In September 1912 (Taisho 1), he criticized General Nogi's suicide as a bad custom in an editorial, which drew criticism. In 1914, he moved to Nagoya as editor-in-chief of Shin Aichi, but left the company in 1924. In 1928 (Showa 3), he was welcomed back to the Shinano Mainichi as editor-in-chief, but his editorial of August 11, 1933, "Laughing at the Kanto Air Defense Exercise," caused a problem among military personnel, and he left the company in October. He then moved to Moriyama-cho on the outskirts of Nagoya, where he organized the Nagoya Book Club and published a monthly magazine called "Tasammon no Ishi" (Stones of a Lesson in a Lesson), in which he criticized the current situation and attacked the military. As his magazine was banned more and more, his laryngeal cancer worsened, and after sending out a "Message on Closing of Publication" to friends and readers in August 1941 (Showa 16), he died on September 10. It was a tragic end for an anti-military journalist.

[Akihiko Sunohara]

"Masao Ota (ed.) 'Kiryu Yuyu Autobiography' (1973, Modern Journalism Publishing Association)" ▽ "Ide Magoroku (ed.) 'Kiryu Yuyu, the Resistance Journalist' (Iwanami Shinsho)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新聞記者。本名は政次(まさじ)。明治6年5月20日金沢生まれ。1899年（明治32）東京帝国大学法科卒業。博文館、下野(しもつけ)新聞社、大阪毎日新聞社、大阪朝日新聞社などを転々としたのち、1910年（明治43）『信濃(しなの)毎日新聞』主筆となる。1912年（大正1）9月、乃木(のぎ)将軍の殉死を陋習(ろうしゅう)として社説で批判し、非難攻撃を受ける。1914年『新愛知』の主筆として名古屋へ行くが、1924年退社。1928年（昭和3）ふたたび『信濃毎日』に主筆として迎えられるが、1933年8月11日付けの社説「関東防空大演習を嗤(わら)ふ」が軍関係者の間で問題化し10月退社。以後、名古屋郊外守山町に移り、名古屋読書会を組織、かたわら個人雑誌『他山の石』を毎月発行して時局批判、軍部攻撃を続ける。発禁を受ける回数が増えるとともに喉頭癌(こうとうがん)が悪化、1941年（昭和16）8月「廃刊の辞」を友人、読者に発送したのち、9月10日死亡。反軍ジャーナリストの壮絶な最期であった。

［春原昭彦］

『太田雅夫編『桐生悠々自伝』（1973・現代ジャーナリズム出版会）』▽『井手孫六著『抵抗の新聞人　桐生悠々』（岩波新書）』

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